OT: Graham Couch: MSU Basketball 2016 Going the Way of MSU Football 2016?

Submitted by jimmyshi03 on

Alex Carder's publicity agent writes that he's seeing parralels between the Spartan cagers, who lost to Northeastern Sunday, and the 3-9 football team. Specifically:

"MSU’s basketball team is facing a similar dynamic to what its football team endured this year: Its most gifted players are its younger players; many of its veterans are better followers than leaders; it’s shaky in the trenches; and its 2013 recruiting class isn’t contributing."

 

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uncle leo

December 19th, 2016 at 1:29 PM ^

But this is a horrible comment:

“Right now we’re struggling with a couple guys that I think have to play well for us to win, Eron and Kenny.”

That's total crap to single two players out.

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ijohnb

December 19th, 2016 at 2:13 PM ^

really don't take issue with that comment.  If Beilein were to say "we are not getting the production we need right now from Derrick and Zak and we really need that to win these games" I don't think it would be that objectionable.  This does not look like a "throwing players under the bus" scenario, though I see why it would coming from Izzo.

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umchicago

December 19th, 2016 at 8:16 PM ^

“He’s sitting next to me because he didn’t play very good. Period,” Izzo said. “He didn’t guard, he didn’t play very hard, he didn’t play very smart, he took a couple bad shots, and he wasn’t playing the way he has to play. So I mean, if Harris doesn’t do that this week, then he won’t be playing this week either. If he does, he will. It’s not all on Eron Harris, but seniors have to rise up.”

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The Squid

December 19th, 2016 at 1:29 PM ^

That's a ridiculous argument at this point of the season. Because of the number of games and the importance of post-season tournaments, basketball's seaonsal arc is completely different than football. Particularly when you schedule the way MSU basketball does.

Joined: 06/30/2008

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LSAClassOf2000

December 19th, 2016 at 3:55 PM ^

Yeah, this is where I struggle with it too - you can't really compare the arcs of football and basketball seasons for a lot of reasons mentioned in this thread, and even if you pressed the point, it seems like it would be difficult to pinpoint a moment where you could even say, "Yeah, this feels like that sort of season" and not leave room for an argument. I guess the only semi-useful way to do it is to go down the list of high-level goals and ask if they were met, but  even then, those goals are different too because of the season structure and the fact that they are different sports altogether. 

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bronxblue

December 19th, 2016 at 1:31 PM ^

One underrated saving grace is that it seems like Eron Harris (who basically got run off by Huggins at Cincy) is rubbing guys at MSU raw as well.  I was really bothered when Harris went to MSU over UM, but it does seem like that was a bullet dodged.

Joined: 11/22/2008

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MH20

December 19th, 2016 at 9:26 PM ^

You know it's bad when Huggy Bear looks at a guy and is like, "Nah, man, even I can't stand the sight of you!"

I mean, his stated reason for transferring was to be "closer to home."  He's from Indy so he promptly chose a school that's ... two hours closer than Morgantown.  

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SanD

December 19th, 2016 at 1:32 PM ^

Checked Kenpom ratings for all 4 directional schools, and State is comfortably ahead of Central and Western, and 30 spots ahead of Eastern. =)

Joined: 11/02/2009

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ThadMattasagoblin

December 19th, 2016 at 1:50 PM ^

Eh. Their basketball team is bad but not terrible like football. It will take a few years for the football program to dig out after this year and they are losing some key players like McDowell and Bullough. Their basketball team can improve next year if they recruit well and retain some guys like Winston.

Joined: 08/24/2011

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stephenrjking

December 19th, 2016 at 2:08 PM ^

I'm not impressed with Couch. He's a "feelz" writer that eschews understanding of what happens on the field or floor for a nebulous search for the "hidden emotional reason" behind the scoreboard results. It's a weak perspective and it was exposed embarrassingly in some of those postgame videos during football season where he would try to contribute some thoughts on the latest Spartan loss and only be able to regurgitate something about "lack of leadership" or something. Meanwhile, the Freep beat writer would actually provide real analysis of problems on the field. But, as the videos demonstrated, Couch doesn't really know how to analyze what's happening on the field or the floor. So he looks for the "hidden reason" that can justify his role as an analyst despite his inability to analyze the sport he is covering. I've come to appreciate analysis like what we get here a lot in the past 10 years. Makes stuff like this look very weak.

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O Fo Sho

December 19th, 2016 at 2:15 PM ^

out of his own way right now.  Yes, they are in trouble losing Schilling and now Bridges.  However, he insist on playing all of these "weird guys" when he doesn't need to.  His starting line up yesterday featured 3 guys that simply can't score (Tum Tum, Ahrens and Goins), while he has Ward and Winston sitting on the bench.  Unless Bridges comes back soon and Izzo realizes his only prayer is to give his FR the bulk of the minutes his NCAA streak is coming to a screaching hult....  The offense is brutal to watch right now.

Joined: 11/21/2011

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Leaders And Best

December 19th, 2016 at 2:15 PM ^

I am having fun watching MSU fans panic but they're going to be fine. Once they get Miles Bridges back and their freshmen get more experience, MSU is going to be OK because the Big Ten is so bad this year. Izzo got lucky that one of his worst teams is coming during a down cycle in the conference. I think MSU should still be able to wint 9-10 games in the Big Ten and get in off the bubble. If Bridges is out for longer, then LOL.

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Ty Butterfield

December 19th, 2016 at 2:24 PM ^

Streak should have ended a few years back. Staee had a year where they finished with like 19 wins and not a good resume. They were on the bubble and should have been left out then. Hopefully it happens this time.

Joined: 09/07/2009

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WolverineHistorian

December 19th, 2016 at 2:50 PM ^

There was a couple times they finished 8-8 in conference, and had no real significant wins to speak of several years ago. Both years, they were bounced in the first game of the tournament. They should have gone to the NIT but got the tourney bids because of Izzo, I imagine. They weren't even considered a bubble team those years either, which astounded me.



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Leaders And Best

December 19th, 2016 at 2:55 PM ^

MSU played a pretty difficult nonconference. You are also leaving out the conference tournament. 9 wins will not be an automatic lock for the NCAA tournament, but I don't think it means they are out either. 9-10 wins in the B1G plus a win or two in the conference tournament will usually get a team into the NCAA touranment though.

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